Clinical criteria for the assessment of disease activity in Graves' ophthalmopathy: a novel approach.
Year: 1989
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Patients with serious inflammatory Graves' ophthalmopathy should be treated with anti-inflammatory drugs or radiotherapy to prevent complications like fibrosis, while those with non-inflammatory ophthalmopathy may be treated by surgery immediately. It is often difficult, however, to distinguish inflammatory from non-inflammatory Graves' disease. We therefore present a simple clinical classification here to differentiate between these two conditions. This classification is based on the classical signs of inflammation--pain, redness, swelling, and impaired function. After two consecutive clinical examinations an 'activity score' can be determined, ranging from 0 to 10 points. In a retrospective study testing the efficacy of this classification we found that patients with an activity score of 3 or more at the beginning of therapy responded well to anti-inflammatory drugs, while those with a lower activity score mostly did not. Comparing the pretreatment activity score with the degree of enlargement of the extraocular muscles on the CT scan, we found a significant correlation between these two parameters: the higher the activity score, the more the enlargement of the muscles. We conclude that this classification facilitates the proper selection of patients for treatment.
Source: British Journal of Ophthalmology
DOI: 10.1136/bjo.73.8.639
Institution: University of Amsterdam
Language: English
Subfield: Ophthalmology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2089992103